Internal combustion engines generally have an alternator coupled near an engine. The alternator provides electric current for a variety of components within a machine. The alternator emits a time-varying magnetic field that produces the electric current. Generally, a mounting bracket (also called mounting assembly) is used for mounting the alternator at a specific position within the internal combustion engine.
Currently, large internal combustion engines, such as engines for powering construction and mining machinery, produce vibrations during the operation of the internal combustion engine. As the mounting bracket is directly mounted on to the internal combustion engine, the mounting bracket and the alternator also vibrate with the internal combustion engine. Continuous vibrations from the internal combustion engine generate high level of stress concentrations around the mounting bracket, which results into cracking and bending of the mounting bracket. Additionally, it also generates undesirable noise during operation of the internal combustion engine. A failure of the mounting bracket and/or the alternator leads to engine downtime and costly repairs. Further, the mounting brackets, in use currently, are bulky and have huge weight, so the production cost of the mounting brackets is also high. Thus, there is a need of an improved and compact mounting assembly for mounting the alternator that reduces vibrations and other failures.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,589 (hereinafter referred as '589) discloses a vehicle alternator. The vehicle alternator comprises a pair of brackets for holding front and rear portions of a stator. A front bracket having projecting flanges at respective vertical ends while a rear bracket has a projecting flange at one vertical end. A pair of separate mounting pieces is provided for attaching the alternator to the engine via the bracket flanges. The mounting pieces have attachment bosses with holes, and one of the mounting pieces is provided with bosses at both horizontal ends for connecting the brackets to each other at the flanges. The '589 reference does not disclose any mechanism to reduce the external vibrations experienced by a mounting assembly, therefore the '589 fails to address the problem of external vibrations experienced by the alternator during operations. Thus, there is a need of an improved mounting assembly for mounting the alternator that reduces vibrations and other failures.